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I. LEWIS.

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HITCHING POST.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC W. LEIVIS, OF VASI-IIN'GTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

HlTCHlNG-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,196, dated August 18, 1896. Application iiled February 29, 1896. Serial No. 581|365. (IIo model.)

To all whom it may concern.; on said bolts, the heads g thereof being em- Be it known that I, ISAAC WV. LEWIS, of bedded in the concrete or other street malVashington city, in the District of Columbia, ferial H, as shown. 5

have invented anew and useful Improvement The top plate D has a central opening d 5 in Htching-Posts, of which the following is slightly smaller than the bore of the grounda specification. tube, which opening is countersunk on its My invention is an improvement in hitchunder side to form a seat for the bulged or ing-posts, and particularly in that class of enlarged part of the post presently described. 6o

such devices in which the post proper is ar- In its under side the plate D is recessed or 1o ranged to be lifted out of the ground for use rabbeted surrounding the opening d to fit or be adjusted into the ground and out of the the projecting end b2 of the ground-tube, and way when not in use; and the invention conso center the top plate in applying the post sists in certain novel constructions, combinaand said plate to the ground-tube and lower 65 tions, and arrangements of parts, as will be plate.

hereinafter described, and pointed out in the Bolts I secure the, top plate D firmly to the claims. lower plate and yet permit the ready removal In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical lonof the said post and top plate whenever degitudinal section of my post in position in sired. 1 7o the ground, the post proper being raised to In securing the countersunk opening in the 2o position for use. Fig. 2 is a side View of the top plate it is preferred to form the same with post in the ground, the post proper being lowa central upwardly-projected bead D' to ward ered, as when not in use. Figs. 3 and 4 are off grit, which bead rounds up from the top detail views of the cap. Fig. 5 is adetail surface of the plate and forms a broad seat 7,5 view of the top plate. Fig. G is a detail view in its countersunk portion for the'swelled porof the lower plate. Fig. is an enlarged detion of the post.

tail section showing a somewhat different The post A is preferably tubular, four feet form of cap from thatshownin Figs. l, 3,and4. six inches long, has its lower end flared or My post is shown as comprising the post projected at a, and is provided with a swelled 8o proper, A, the ground-tube B, the lower plate portion a', preferably one foot six inches from 3o C, the top plate D, and the cap-plate E, the the flared part a, and arranged in proper resaid parts being constructed as shown and as lation to the flared or projected part a to enwill now be described. gage the seat in the top plate when the said The ground-tube B is seated in the ground part a is engaged with the contracted portion 8 5 with its upper end at or near the ground-surh of the ground-tube. At its lower end the face and is made of such length, preferably post is provided with the spring J, made in .four feet eight inches, as to form a receptacle the form of a-bow-spring, bent at j, forming for the post A when the latter is pushed the arms j', and-secured in the lower end of down. At a point comparatively near its upthe post by the cross-pin K, passing through 9o per end, preferably eighteen inches from its its arms j', the extremities of the spring being 4o top, the bore of the ground-tube B is conprojected beyond the end of the post and betracted at b, preferably by pressing such tube ing rounded at ,7'2 to bear against the inner inward, as shown. The upper end of the side of the ground-tube and hold the post in ground-tube is threaded at b' to receive the any position to which it may be adjusted. 95 lower plate C, which is threaded on the tube At its upper end the post is provided with B, the latter projecting at b2 above the plate a cap E, which may be made with the thin C to aid in centering the top plate D in apbeveled ogee edges, as shown in Fig. 1, so it plying the same. The plate C is provided can lie flat upon the top plate, or such cap with holes C for the bolts which secure the may, if desired, be made, as shown in Fig. 7, roc top plate D, and is also provided at its edges with just suiiicient edge projection to catch 5o with dropped portions F, having notches j' to on the beaded rim around the opening in the permit the lateral insertion of the anchortop plate to ward off grit. The cap in each bolts G, and mortises f to receive the nuts g case is threaded in the post and is provided with a ring or pull L, secured by a shell L', fitted over the ring and soldered or otherwise secured to the body of the cap. By this pull the post may be readily lifted to any desired height, from which it may be pushed into the ground when not in use.

J ust below the cap the post has an opening M, through which a rein may be-passed and looped over the cap to secure the horse without tying, such loop being easily displaced when desired.- To prevent the cement and concrete filled in below the lower plate from coming in contact with the ground-tube, I'

prefer to provide a casing N of tin or other suitable material, which extends around the ground-tube in the square opening formed as presently described.

In placing the post it is preferred to -cut a square hole about half inch larger all around them the size of the lower and top plates and about four inches deep, from the bottom of which'square hole a round hole is bored down to wi-thin three ort'cur inches of where the be put in the square hole and cement filled in around it. Then put in the ground-tube with top plate applied and secured as shown and before described.

In use it will be seen that if ythe post be drawn up 'to its full height its lower flared end will bear against the contracted portion of.' the ground-tube and its swelled or enlarged portion will bear against the seat of the top plate, as shown, the post being thus steadied in position and held therein by the spring which binds it at any vertical adjustment.

When pushed down from said position, thepost lits loosely in the ground-tube and may then be slipped quickly into the ground; but when in position Jfor use it will be firm, rigid, and practically immovable.

In setting the ground-tube the hole is bored slightly shorter than the said tube and the latter is forced into the-ground, a small portion of the dirt entering the lower end of the tube, and in order to prevent the springs of the post from entering such dirt I ram vthe i latter out of the ground-tube in any suitable rIhe tin casing will' the post elevated, substantially as shown and described.

2. A hitchingpost comprising the groundtube having a portion of its bore contracted, the top plate, means whereby said top plate is held to the ground-tube, such top plate having a seat for the enlarged portion of the post the post having the swelled or enlarged portion and the flared lower end and the spring all substantially as shown and described.

3. In a hitching-post the combination of the ground-tube, the lower plate held thereto, the top plate held to the lower plate, the post, and means for holding the post elevated, substantially as shown and described.

1l. The combination of the ground-tube and lower plate a slight'central projection being provided above said lower plate the top plate having a rabbet or recess to receive said projection whereby to center the said top plate means by which to secure the top plate, the post and meansfor holding the post elevated, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination of the ground-tube having its upper end threaded, the lower plate threaded on said tube the latter projecting above the said plate, the top plate having a recess receiving said upper projection and secured to the lower plate, the post, and means for holding the post elevated, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combinati-on of the ground-tube having its bore provided with a contracted portion, thelower plate threaded onsaid tube, the upper end of the latter projecting above the said plate, the top plate having a recess receiving said projecting end and an upwardly-projected bead surrounding its central opening, means by which to secure the top plate to the lower plate, the post, andthe spring substantially as shown and described.

7. The combination with the top plate having a central opening and a countersunkseat surrounding the under side thereof of the ground-tube having its bore provided with a contracted portion and the post having a swelled portion arranged to engage said coun tersunk seat and a flared lower end to engage the contracted portion of the ground-tube,

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and the spring substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination of the-grouud-tube, the lower plate, the top plate secured to the lower plate, the anchor-bolts secured to the lower plate, the post proper, and means for holding the post elevated, substantially asset forth.

ISAAC XV. LEWIS. lVitnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMON, P. B. TURPIN. 

